1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reproducing apparatus having reproducing limiting function, an apparatus for rewriting reproducing limitation information, a reproducing limiting method, a method of rewriting reproducing limitation information and a program storage medium, and more particularly, is suitably applied for example to the case of reproducing digital music contents with reproducing limitation distributed in an electric music distribution service.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, an electric music distribution service called electric music distribution (EMD) in which digital music contents are distributed using a computer network by Internet has been provided.
In this kind of electric music distribution service, the digital music contents is distributed from an EMD server that supplies the contents to a personal computer in a home (hereinafter, this is referred to as computer device) via Internet. In the computer device in the home, the digital music contents distributed from the EMD server is downloaded into an internal hard disk. This will be reproduced according to user""s operation, so that the user can enjoy music at any time.
In such electric music distribution service, on the one hand there has been the system of buying called xe2x80x9cpurchasexe2x80x9d in which the digital music contents downloaded into the computer device from the EMD server can be reproduced at any time or any number of times as if it is a compact disc (CD), on the other hand there has been a new buying system called xe2x80x9cwith reproducing limitationxe2x80x9d by which reproducing limitation on a reproducible period of time and the number of reproducible times will be added as a service in which charges have been down.
Furthermore, these days, a portable digital recording and reproducing device which can record the digital music contents from the above computer device on a recording medium such as a magneto-optical disc, a flash memory or the like in digital data by connecting to the computer device has been gained popularity. Thereby, the digital music contents distributed from the EMD server can be transferred from the computer device and recorded on the recording medium in digital data.
Accordingly, the portable digital recording and reproducing device is controlled so as to be reproducible in case of the digital music contents of xe2x80x9cpurchasexe2x80x9d at any time or any number of times, however, in case of the digital music contents xe2x80x9cwith reproducing limitationxe2x80x9d of which the reproducible period of time has been limited, it is controlled so as to reproduce the digital music contents only within the reproducible period of time by managing the reproducible period of time by the clock function of a real time clock (RTC) circuit loaded inside.
By the way, in a digital recording and reproducing device having the above configuration, there has been a problem that when the time of the RTC circuit has returned to the past with malicious intent, even if the reproducible period of time has passed, digital music contents which was purchased xe2x80x9cwith reproducing limitationxe2x80x9d can be illegally reproduced at any number of times, and the digital music contents xe2x80x9cwith reproducing limitationxe2x80x9d cannot be limited so as to be reproduced only within the reproducible period of time.
In view of the foregoing, an object of this invention is to provide a reproducing device having reproducing limiting function, an apparatus for rewriting reproducing limitation information, a reproducing limiting method, a method of rewriting reproducing limitation information and a program storage medium that can prevent illegal reproducing of contents of data of which the reproducible period of time has been limited.
The foregoing object and other objects of the invention have been achieved by the provision of a reproducing device having reproducing limiting function in which when reproducing limitation information has been detected from contents data that has been stored in a prescribed storage medium and has the reproducing limitation information composed of a reproducible period of time, the number of reproducible times and the number of reproduced times, and reproducing data, if reproducing instruction is given, the number of reproduced times is incremented and updated according to the above instruction, and at the same time, when the number of reproduced times is within the range of the number of reproducible times, the reproducing data is reproduced according to the reproducing instruction. Thereby, its reproducing processing without limitation over the reproducible period of time can be surely prevented.
Furthermore, according to the present invention, reproducing limitation information is read from a prescribed storage medium in which contents data including the reproducing limitation information composed of a reproducible period of time, the number of reproducible times and the number of reproduced times and reproducing data has been stored. Whether or not it is within the range of the reproducible period of time is confirmed based on reference date data on a reference date. If it is within the range of the reproducible period of time, the number of reproduced times is rewritten to zero. So that if it is within the range of the reproducible period of time, the contents data can be repeatedly reproduced any number of times for the number of reproducible times.
The nature, principle and utility of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like parts are designated by like reference numerals or characters.